Media Release: Govan’s community arts and media charity to launch local TV channel

TODAY, Govan’s community arts and media charity, Plantation Productions, has been announced as the winner of the Digital 2012 Networking Challenge.

The Govan charity’s winning idea to develop a local community broadband TV channel impressed the challenge judges who have awarded the charity a prize of a pair iPads to develop the initiative.

Moya Crowley, from Plantation Productions, said: “We found out about Digital 2012 on the Culture Sparks website and thought it looked like a truly inspirational event.

“We were already in the process of considering our options to move the business to the next level as we want to create a community broadband TV channel to provide an interactive platform for films and local content to highlight the rich culture in the Greater Govan area.

“Digital 2012 and the Networking Challenge really helped us consolidate our ideas and make some key connections to make this happen.

“Winning these iPads will help us to develop a brand new product!”

The Networking Challenge was launched in March 2012 at Digital 2012 in Glasgow.

Organised by Interactive Scotland, a Scottish Enterprise project in partnership with Ambition Scotland, the theme of the Digital 2012 conference was about creating connections across the digital media, creative, cultural and arts sectors.

An integral part of the conference was the Networking Challenge competition where the aim was to help organisations join forces with some key partners to develop and grow their business in return for some fantastic prizes donated by AmbITion Scotland, Hillington Park Innovation Centre, The Whisky Bond and Co-operative Development Scotland and IP Advisor, Gillian Cameron.

Of the many inspiring ideas submitted, Plantation Productions’ collaboration with Moving Targets – a knowledge exchange programme run out of University of Abertay – to create a community TV channel, particularly stood out for the judges.

Plantation Productions will work with Moving Targets to rebrand and refresh their website and online presence.

Creating a local community broadband channel will provide a platform for the films and content they have built up over the last ten years and will enable them to continue training and working with over 200 local people a year, building an interest and desire for digital participation.

“One of AmbITion Scotland’s core aims is to support partnerships and collaborations, building greater resilience in the Scotland’s cultural industries. Plantation Productions’ partnership with Moving Targets does just this.

“It makes the most of Plantation Productions’ key strengths in community relationships and their wealth of video content that would otherwise not be able to be seen.

“We are absolutely delighted and not at all surprised that they are already planning to incorporate our prize of two iPads into their community work in Govan.”

Debbie McCutcheon, from Interactive Scotland, said: “The judges were very impressed with the calibre of entries into the Networking Challenge but the Plantation Productions one stood out as their idea was really exciting as it brought together local talent with the digital world and showed a clear cross-sectoral link.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. AmbITion Scotland is a £1m digital development programme for 2012/3 specifically designed to support individuals and organisations working in the arts, culture and heritage sectors in Scotland. It helps organisations and individuals grow in their capability, capacity, creativity and confidence to make the most of the opportunities of digital technologies.

Funded by The National Lottery via Creative Scotland (as part of Creative Scotland’s Cultural Economy programme), AmbITion is designed and project managed by Culture Sparks in partnership with Rudman Consulting. http://www.getambition.com

2. Interactive Scotland provides expert help and support for small to medium enterprises across the digital media sector in Scotland http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/microsites/interactivescotland.aspx

3. Plantation Productions is a community based charity, running a varied arts and media programme of activities for all ages across the South West of Glasgow.

Through workshops and events it provides informal learning opportunities and gives people the chance to get involved in their community.

Through commissioned films Plantation Productions provides organisations with an affordable way to promote or evaluate their activities.

As well as encouraging personal development, it is committed to using the arts as a means of regeneration and work on a collaborative basis with a number of organisations including the Creative Network, local Housing Associations, Glasgow Life and the Community Health Partnership.

http://www.plantation.org.uk

4. Moving Targets: New Models for New Media Audiences in the Creative Media Industries is a research project funded under the Scottish Funding Council’s SPIRIT research programme.

The project involves research and knowledge exchange with the creative media industries as they evolve and develop innovative models for co-creating, prototyping and consuming new forms of creative media content in the digital knowledge economy.

The total awarded is £1.2 million over three years and the project started in September 2010. Other partners include BBC Scotland, Skillset Scotland, Clash Music Group, Dynamo Games, TAG Games, Tern TV, and Winterwell Associates.

The project is led by the University of Abertay (principal investigator – Gregor White) with the University of Edinburgh (principal investigator – Professor Richard Coyne) and Edinbugh College of Art.

5. The Digital 2012 conference took place in March 2012 at Glasgow’s SECC. Designed to help connect Scotland’s creative and digital industries, the conference was organised by Interactive Scotland, a Scottish Enterprise initiative and AmbITion Scotland http://www.digitalconnections.org.uk/